King Ahab had a huge palace, but he envied Naboth who had a small garden. The greedy and unsatisfied king collaborated with his wife (Jezebel) to kill Naboth. The scripture reported the incident,
“And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.” But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!” So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?”…“And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. She wrote in the letters, saying, proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die” (1 Kings 21:1-4,8).
Lesson:
An act of wickedness is evil, and God will punish it. The Creator will punish wicked people, no matter how powerful and influential they are. Unless repented, a wicked person would end up in hell fire – where there shall be everlasting torments. However, the word “wickedness” is not visibly written on anyone’s forehead; most wicked people do not realize who they are unless they have properly assessed themselves. Therefore, it is advisable that all people examine themselves and evaluate their actions. Everyone should have an honest conclusion about whether he or she has engaged in some wicked activities that need repentance. God is loving and forgiving; he will forgive and grant a second chance opportunity to anyone who repents from his or her wickedness.
Prayer:
Dear God, please forgive me for any wicked act that I have involved myself. I am sorry for every evil act that I have committed. I repent from all my wickedness today, and I will never return to them again! I am now determined to do things rightly. I will exercise adequate and impartial judgments; I will not exploit anyone for my selfish gain; I will treat people under my watch fairly and equally. I will be contented with whatever I have, and I will not be envious of others. Help me to be honest in dealing with you and other people, so that it can be well with me throughout the days of my life. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.
